Friday, January 9, 2015

The Sociopath Next Door --by Martha Stout, Ph.D.

Nonfiction / Psychology / Psychiatry /Personality

256 pages / 542 KB

5 Stars

This is a book I think everyone should read. The topic is
heavy, the book is not. According to Stout, approximately 4 per cent of our
population is sociopath. What does that mean? It doesn't mean they are all
serial killers, for starters. They often blend in, and go unnoticed by the
majority of people. They are usually intelligent, manipulative, and charming.
Because they lack a conscience, they make perfect con-artists.

Because these people lack a conscience, they are incapable
of love, joy, remorse, or guilt. Because they have no fear, they take chances
at work, in play, in their personal lives, and are often adrenaline junkies.

How do you recognize one? And when you do, how do you live
with one? You don't.

Stout's writing is beautiful, almost lyrical, and most
assuredly easily accessible by anyone. The stories she tells of individual
people would almost make short stories on their own. But she doesn't just tell
us about case histories, she also gives us "Thirteen Rules for Dealing
With Sociopaths in Everyday Life." Those rules, alone, make the book worth
the investment of both money and time.

This is an extremely interesting book, full of useful
information we all can learn from, whether you know, or think you know, a
sociopath, or if you're a writer and want to write about one. As one reviewer
said, this book needs to be read by every High School student in America before
graduating. This kind of knowledge will save many a broken life. It won't
necessarily stop the hurt because by the time we're involved with one, it's
usually too late. But it can stop the breaking if we recognize it soon enough
and end the relationship, whether personal or professional.

Do not think about buying this book, JUST DO IT. Buy your
own copy, read it, and if you're one of those people like me, keep a pen handy
because you'll want to underline, highlight, and add your own marginalia to it.
Highly recommend this for everyone who reads, for everyone who lives in today's
world.